Hummingbird Birthday!

So i wanted something different and decided to make this classic hummingbird cake ! I was sceptical at first when i looked at the ingredients but it turned out to be a super moist cake that was full of flavour! My mum hates nutty cakes but even she loved it... win win!

Recipe

300g caster sugar, 3 eggs, 300ml sunflower oil*, 270g peeled mashed bananas, 1tsp cinnamon, 300g plain flour, 1tsp bicarbonate soda, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp vanilla extract, 100g tinned pineapple chopped into small bits, 100g pecans or walnuts and a few extra for on top!

Gas 3 or 170C

Grease and line 3 x 20cm tins

• Beat the sugar, eggs, oil, banana and cinnamon together until incorporated ** might look curdled at this stage dont worry! 
• Slowly add the flour, bicarb, salt and vanilla and beat everything until well mixed
• Stir in the pineapple and nuts, until evenly dispersed 
• Pour evenly into 3 tins and smooth over (lift tins 3inches off counter and drop!)
• Bake for 20 - 25 mins until sponge bounces back or cake skewer comes out clean
• Cool in tins slightly and turn onto wire rack.. cool some more!
• Ice! .........

Cream Cheese Icing
600g icing sugar , 100g softened butter, 250g cream cheese

Beat sugar and butter together until smooth, add in the cream cheese and beat again for about 6 mins until light and fluffy. Sandwich cakes and ice all over aswell . Scatter with chopped nuts.... Devour!

* dont use other oils like olive oil etc as they are too strong in flavour

Joes Birthday!

So one of the first movies myself and Joe went to see was Watchmen, so I decided for his birthday cake I would attempt to make the smiley face badge into a cake! God I was running around the kitchen like a blue arsed fly trying to get it perfect... it was hilarious! The cake itself was a white chocolate cake with vanilla butter icing, covered in bright yellow fondant icing with a bit of raspberry jam underneath for good measure! It was the blood spatter on it that caused me the most grief, one wrong move and I would have ruined the whole cake covering! So I practiced dropping candle wax and royal icing from a height to try get it right but nothing worked properly so i eventually dabbed it on with my finger .... after all that!!

The real icing on the cake was Joes reaction :) well chuffed! xx

Recipe:

225g soft butter, 225g caster sugar, 4 eggs, 2 tsp vanilla extract, 250g plain flour, 2tsp baking powder, 50g white choc melted, 50 ml milk
Gas Mark4, 180C , 350F
Grease and line 2 x 8inch spring form tins

• Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy
• Beat in the vanilla and then eggs one by one, beating well in between
• Sift in the flour and baking powder and fold in gently
• Add the milk and cooled melted chocolate and combine thoroughly
• Put mix into the two tins evenly and bake for 20 to 25 mins
• Cool on a wire rack and sandwich with vanilla butter icing. Jam the tops and sides and cover in ready to roll fondant icing(dyed yellow!)**. Using a black icing pen draw on eyes and smile and dab on the blood spatter with royal icing (icing sugar red colouring and water).

Vanilla Butter Icing
150g butter softened, 300g icing sugar, 1tsp vanilla, dash of milk.
Cream together

** I used Sugarflair colour in Melon available HERE

A little about me and baking..........

Where do I start! I guess my love for baking started when I was a kid, my mum used to have us help her in the kitchen every time she got a notion to bake which was probably every weekend! We always baked cupcakes and she taught me how to make a mean flan :) Mum used to bake all our birthday cakes from scratch aswell and they were always unbelievable, I have a vivid memory of being in the dining room in our old house with the buttercream and chocolate finger cake standing proud in the middle of the table..... mmmm.... until it was devoured by 20 hungry 7year olds!
Another baking inspiration is my Nana Noreen. She used to mind us after school when we were kids, and a couple of times a week we'd bake something in her tiny kitchen. I mean TINY! With the table and fridge and appliances etc there was about a foot of walking space.. hilarious!
So recently, in the last year I suppose, I've kickstarted my interest in baking again. Last Christmas people actually got me baking tins as presents haha :) I've become more interested in decorating aswell so now my cakes aren't just slapped with a dollop of icing, they're carefully piped i swear!